Beet-harvesting machine.



-W. HIRNING.

BEET HARVESTING MACHINE.

APPLlCATION FILED JAR-11.1917.

Patented Jan. 1, 191 8.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l N V E N TO R Wilhelm 1577771127 ATTORNEY 1 S E S S E N h W W. HIRNING.

BEET HARVESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION F ILED JAN. 11, 1917.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- WITNESSES ATTOR N EY WILI-IELM HIRNING, 0E RUPERT,-IDAHO.

BEET-HARVESTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application filedJanuary 11, 1917. Serial No. 141,843.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILHELM HrmvrNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rupert, in the county of Minidoka and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Beet-Harvesting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to beet harvesting machines, and more particularly to a machine for pulling the beets so as to enable them to be quickly and easily gathered.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated of simple construction and operation which may be produced at relatively small cost. A further object is to provide pulling means adapted to pull the beets and invert them after pulling so as to insure that the beets will lie flat on the ground after being pulled so as .to be readily grasped by any suitable gathering means, or by the hand if the beets are gathered manually. Further objects will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan View of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the machine,

Fig. 3 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

A sleeve 1 is fixedly secured to the front bar 2 of the rectangular frame 3 of the machine. This sleeve receives the upwardly extending standard 4 of the front fork 5. Two ground wheels 6 are rotatably mounted on the front axle 7 carried by the fork 5, and are held in spaced relation by a spacing sleeve 8 mounted on the axle. A U-clevis 9 is mounted about standard 4, above and below sleeve 1. At its upper end, thisclevis is provided with a collar 10 which snugly receives the standard and is apertured to receive a bolt 11 insertible into the spaced apertures 12 of the standard. By this means the front of the frame 3 mav be quickly and easily secured in vertical adjustment. Also, the fork 5 is so connected to the clevis 9 as to be movable therewith. The front bar of the clevis is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 9*. These apertures are adapted to receive a securing bolt 13 passed'through the bifurcated inner end of the pole or tongue 14 which is provided with alined bores for this purpose. This pole provides traction attaching means for drawing the machine forward.

A transverse brace'15 is secured toframe 3 near the rear bar 3 thereof. Theends of this brace extend downward and beyond the side bars of the frame to provide hangers 16. These hangers support the rear axle 17. This axle is secured against axial movement by means of collars 18 secured on the same outside of hangers 16. Axle17 is bent to provide the rearwardly and downwardly extending cranks19, the outer portion of each crank being turned outward at right angles to provide a bearing member 20 for the rear ground wheel 21.

An arcuate rack bar 22 is fixedly secured to the side bar 3 of frame 3. A hand lever. 23 ispivotally mounted on one of the hangers 16 adjacent this rack and is provided with the usual spring pressed detent which cooperates with the rack to secure the lever in rotary adjustment which is controlled by a latch handle mounted adjacent the upper end of the lever. Hand lever 23 is connect ed by a bowed link 25 to a lug 26 formed integral with one of the cranks 19 of the axle 17. By adjusting hand lever 23 about its axis of rotation, the axle 17 may be rocked in the hangers 16 soas to either liftthe cranks 19 or lower them. When the cranks 19 are lowered the rearward portion of the frame 3 will be forced. upward relative to the ground wheels, and when the cranks are raised the frame will be lowered. By this means, the rearward portion of the frame may be quickly and easily secured in vertical adjustment. 7

Adjacent the rearward end of theframe, two forwardly and downwardly directed arms 39 and 40 are pivotallv secured at their upper'ends to the side bars 3 and 3 respectively, of the frame. Each of these arms is bent inwardly as at 41, then forwardly at an angle as at 42, the lower portion of the arm being bent outward at an angle so as to be in approximate parallelism with the side bars of the frame, as at 43. Each of these portions 43 of the arms is secured to the vertical wall 44 of a digging-member 45 of rectangular cross section. or arm 45 of this digging member is of approximate triangular shape, the apex of the The upper wall 2 triangle being directed forward. These two ends, by a small rod 46 the ends of which are turned up at right angles and secured through the upper walls of the digging members. This rod, which might be termed a tripping rod, serves to engage the lower ends of the beets so as to trip or invert the same as they are forced upward between the digging members during the forward travel of the machine. By this means, the beets are deposited in the trench left by the digging members in such position as to be easily grasped by the hand, if gathered manually, or to be easily gathered by a suitable gathering machine.

As will be noted more clearly from Fig. 3 of the drawings, the inner edge of the upper wall 45* of the digging member is turned over slightly as at 45 This provides a rounded edge for engagement with the beetroots as the machine is drawn forward, thus eliminating all cutting of the beets such as would occur if the edges were not so rounded. The supporting arms 39 and a0 may be formed, as shown, by bending from strap iron of suitable thickness. These members will have a great deal of resiliency which.

jurious cutting of the beets is prevented;

In addition, the vertical arms n of the diggers 45 act to loosen the soil to either side.

of the row preliminary to the beets being gripped by these members, thus facilitating the digging or pulling operation.

In using this machine it is intended that a driver and an operator for the machine be employed. For this purpose, a drivers seat 47 is provided, supported by the resilient standard d8 secured to the forward brace bar 35. An operators seat 49 is similarly supported from the brace bar 15 by a standard 50. The machine is drawn along the beet row, by any suitable traction means, with the tongue let directly above the beets. The operator is within easy reach of the hand lever 23 by means of which the axle The tripping rod Q6, in addition to 17 may be rocked to raise or lower the digging members in accordance with requirements. Of course, when the machine is not in operation, as when moving from one field to another, the axle 17 may be rocked so as to raise the digging members I5 sufiiciently to bring the same above the surface of the ground thus preventing injury to these members, and interference with the movement of the machine.

lVhat I claim is z.-

1. A beet topping and digging machine, having a wheel mounted frame, a pair of spaced inwardly and downwardly and forwardly directed arms secured to the: frame adjacent the rearward end thereof, spaced forwardly tapering digging members socured on the lower ends of said arms, a tripping rod connecting said digging. members ad acent their upper ends, braces secured to said arms and the side bars of said frame, and means for adjusting said digging members vertically.

2. In beet harvesting machines, a frame, downwardly and forwardly inclined supporting arms carried thereby, spaced forwardly and downwardly inclined digging members secured on the lower ends of said arms, said members tapering forwardly so as to provide a rearwardly converging beet receiving passage between the same, and a tripping rod, extending across said passage adjacent the upper end thereof whereby beets forced between the digging members will be turned so as tobe caused to lie flat upon the ground after-being discharged from the digging members.

3. In beet harvesting machines, a frame, downwardly and forwardly inclined digging members carried thereby, each of said members having an outer vertical arm and an upper horizontal arm, said horizontal arm being tapered forwardly whereby a rearwardly converging beet receiving passage is provided between said digging members,

and a tripping rod secured to the digging members and extending across said passage.

adjacent the upper end thereof whereby beets forced between. the digging members will'be turned so as to be caused to lie flat I upon the ground after being discharged from the digging members.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILHELM. HIR-NING. \Vitnesses HENRY A. HIRNING, T 1 JOHN Sronmn Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.. 

